By David Humphreys Miller. Colored pencil and crayon on tinted art paper, drawn from life c. 1939 and signed by D. H. Miller. 10"x8". David Humphreys Miller met Fred Belt on the Pine Ridge agency in 1939. A Hunkpapa Sioux survivor of the Custer battle, Belt was about 92 years old when Miller first interviewed him. At the Little Big Horn, Belt was in Chief Black Moon's band of akicitas (law enforcers) and rode against Reno's charge. He then joined Black Moon in fighting Custer's command. After the Little Big Horn, Belt went into Canada with Sitting Bull. He later returned to the United States and took part in the Ghost Dance religion. Because his band was briefly lost in the South Dakota Badlands, Fred Belt was not present at the Wounded Knee massacre. He died in 1940.

Return to Catalog